Traveling with Food: 3 Tips to Avoid a Mess

If we all stayed home during the holidays, the season would probably be a lot simpler – don’t try to deny it. Less worry about paying for the trip. Less family drama. Less dense fruitcake from Aunt Peg.

But, alas, most of us will travel this holiday season. Typically, when we travel to other people’s homes, we bring food! It’s the way to people’s hearts and a great way to say thank you without breaking the bank. But how do we get it from point A to point B without a disaster?

We’ve got you covered.

3 Tips for Traveling with Holiday Food

Avoid soup, bisque or chili.

Let’s be real for a second: this type of food should only be shared if you are traveling by car. It’s inevitable. No matter how tight that saran wrap is and even if the lid clicked on the bowl, the odds are this delicious dish will spill at some point. We all hope it’s not in the back of your sedan, but it probably will be. Be kind to your car. Save one of those boxes from your multiple online orders and put the bowl, crockpot or Tupperware into the box and then into your car.

Disclose any food you are traveling with to TSA.

Carrying on candied almonds? Put a dozen cookies in your checked bag? Tell the airline and TSA! It could save you an incredible amount of time going through the security line. Also remember – no liquids through a security check point! Probably best to just buy any liquid when you arrive at your destination, not every state allows you to mail liquor and the extreme temperature change in the baggage cabin could cause any class or plastic to explode.

Make it easy to serve.

When choosing a meal that you can deliver to a host or hostess, choose something that will be easy to serve! You’ll want to bring something that can easily be popped into the oven to be warmed – or not warmed at all. Think dessert, casseroles or (when all else fails) alcohol!